1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a highly effective, spring-closed, leg trap for animals, and, more particularly, to a trap which employs an advantageously configured base to provide a balanced mounting on a pair of U-shaped jaws, a pair of torsion coil springs, and elements of a trigger mechanism.
2. Prior Art
Many proposals have been made in an effort to provide a versatile, reliable trap of the type employing a pair of pivotally mounted, spring-closed, U-shaped jaws. One problem with prior proposals has been the complexities of the trap structures that result when the proposals are implemented. Many previously proposed traps have included an unreasonably large number of intricate parts which have rendered the traps difficult to assemble and service, and expensive to fabricate.
A deficiency of most previous trap proposals has been a failure to recognize and address the desirability of providing a trap with a means for presetting the trap's trigger mechanism to require the application of a force of desired magnitude to spring the trap, whereby the trap can be preset for use with a wide variety of animals.
Another problem has related to the tendency of previously proposed traps to permit their jaws to re-open and release a trapped animal once the trap has been sprung and the trapped animal applies force in an effort to seek release.
A further problem has been a failure of many previously proposed traps to provide a blanced mounting of components of the trap relative to the trap's connection with a tie-down assembly, whereby the unbalanced weight of the trap ends to inflict undue injury on a trapped animal which is seeking to escape.
Still another problem with prior proposals has been their failure to provide a trap of sturdy design, the components of which can be scaled up or down in size as needed to provide traps of a variety of sizes for use with various animals.